Oliver sweeney



0. SWEENEY.

Lamp.

No. 225,662. Patented Mar. I6,'1880.

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LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,662, dated March 16, 1880.

Application filed January 12, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OLIVER SWEENEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Reservoir-Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improve ments in that class of reservoir-lamps in which the oil-supply chamber is independent of the main reservoir, and contains a float with a valve adapted to the opening between the chamber and reservoir, whereby the level of oil in the said chamber and in thelamp-tubes communicating therewith is always in aintained at a uniform height.

The object of my improvements is to so construct a lamp of this character as to insure the proper operation of the float and permit the various parts of the reservoir and lamp to be readily removed from each other for cleansing or repairs.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of a lamp constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2, adetached view of part of the same, and Fig. 3 a sectional plan on the line 1 2, Fig. 1.

A is the main oil-reservoir of the lamp, having at the top a nozzle, a, through which oil may be introduced into the reservoir, said nozzle being furnished with a cap or cover having a suitable opening or vent. Surrounding the reservoir A, and extending some distance beneath the same, is a casing, B, the latter being of such a size that an annular space, I), is formed bet-ween the sides of the casing and those of the reservoir, a chamber, D, intervening between the bottom of the reservoir and the bottom of the casing. This chamber D communicates, through an opening, (I, with the reservoir A, and through a hollow block, E, and pipes F F, with the lamp-tubes Gr Gr, the latter being provided with burners of any desired character.

'Within the chamber D is a float, J, which has a central stem, 6, projecting upward into the reservoir A, and adapted to openings in two guiding-strips, f and g, arranged within said reservoir and at some distance apart. The stem 0 may also, if desired, project beneath the float for adaptation to a guide in the casing B, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1.

On the top of the float J, and surrounding the stem 0, is a ring, m, of leather, cork, or other elastic or semi-elastic material.

The operation of the lamp is as follows: On filling the reservoir A with oil a portion of the same passesthrough the opening 01 into the chamber D, and through the block E and pipes F into the lamp-tubes G, in which and in the chamber D the oil rises until the valvering m on the top of the float closes the opening d and prevents the entrance of oil into the chamber D. When, however, owing to the consumption of oil by the lamps, the level pf the oil in the chamber D is lowered, and the float J descends to such an extent that its valve m uncovers the opening d, a further supply of oil will enter the chamber D, until the normal level is restored and the opening again closed, and this operation will be repeated until the supply of oil in the reservoir A has been exhausted.

Air freely enters the chamber D through the space b and openings at, or other suitable apertures in the casin g B, so that the proper entrance of oil into and its discharge from said chamber is insured, thereby overcoming an objection to that class of lamps in which the chamber D has no air-supply.

Owing to the fact that the joint between the reservoir A and outer casing, B, is at the top of the said reservoir, so that the air-chamber 1) extends from top to bottom of the latter, said air-chamber performs the additional duty of preventing access of oil to and its leakage from the joint when the lamp is shaken and the oil in the chamber D agitated.

By providing the float J with a projecting stem adapted to guides within the reservoir A or to a guide within the reservoir A and one on. the casing B, I am enabled, on removing the reservoir from said casing B, to readily withdraw the valve for cleansing or repairs.

I have shown in the drawings two lamptubes in connection with the central reservoir but any desired number of tubes may be employed, and the valve or. may, instead of being carried by the float, be placed on the bottom of the reservoir A, so as to surround the opening d, the opening in such case, however, not being flanged, and a flange or projection being formed on the top of the reservoir.

I do not desire to claim, broadly, the combination of a reservoir, a supply-chamber, and

broadly, a casing inclosing the supply-cham her and constructed so as to permit the reservoir to be detached therefrom but I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the reservoir A, having an opening, d, and internal guiding-strips, the float J, the valve m, interposed directly between the opening (1 and the top of the float J, as described, and the outer casing, B, fitted to the reservoir A at the upper end of the latter, and inclosing a distributing-chamber, D, beneath the reservoir, and an air-chamber, b, surrounding and extending from top to bottom of the said reservoir, all substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the reservoir A, having an opening, d, the outer casing, B, the valve m, the float J, having a stem, 0, and guiding-strips? adapted to the stern, but from which said stem can, on the detaching of the reservoir from the casing B, be readily removed in order to expose the float, as set forth.

3. The combination of the outer casing, B, the detachable reservoir A, having an openin g, d, and internal guiding-strips, f and g, the valve m, and the float J, having an upwardlyprojecting stem, 0, adapted to the guidingstrips 1" and g, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OLIVER SWEENEY.

Witnesses:

ALEXANDER PATTERSON, HARRY SMITH. 

